Demonstrating the value of library and information services has been a theme in library discussions in recent years. The application of many different approaches to evaluation has waxed and waned together with the development of theories of evaluation across the humanities and social sciences. Over the past two decades research and activity on…

International students constitute a significant proportion of the Australian university population, and thus of the university library-using population. Drawing on qualitative research findings, this paper discusses the library-related experiences and perceptions of international students at two Australian universities. While the students'…

This study examines what the public search for in the catalogue of the State Library of Victoria (SLV). As well as indicating the type of content being accessed, this gives an indication of what catalogue users expect of the State Library collection. A content analysis was undertaken of a random, stratified sample of 4,000 search queries typed in…

This paper examines the use of online information resources by Economics, Finance, and Marketing 3rd year students in a cooperative education program and explores some possible factors and issues that influence how students use these resources. The nature of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programs, the business information environment, and the…

The increasing availability and prominence of e-books has led to a perception in some quarters that the requirement for physical books is decreasing, as most, or all scholarly material is openly available in digital form. Some academic administrators and librarians have suggested that it may be possible or desirable to have a solely, or…

Introduction: Evidence-based practice is a process through which evidence in its various forms is sourced, appraised and applied in order to solve a problem, inform decision making, or improve practice. The purpose of this paper is to share findings from a qualitative research study that sought to identify evidence used by Australian special…

This paper examines the research that has been conducted to date on the topic of library support for distance learning programs and identifies some priorities for future research. The two main types of studies prevalent in the literature on this topic are surveys of libraries and user studies. Research findings from the United States, United…

While library patronage has seen some research it has never been explored in terms of human activity pattern analysis. This article traces the patronage of three campus libraries at a regional university in Australia in the context of other teaching and learning, such as the use of computer laboratories and assignment deadlines: it suggests not…

Presents the results of a study of CD-ROM database use by 100 university students. The students' age, level of study, course of study, and reasons for nonuse are reported. Implications of the study, and suggestions for promoting CD-ROM use and involving faculty in raising awareness are presented. (eight references) (KRN)